As exciting as it is to dream about being a published author, actually writing a book can feel overwhelming at times. Those feelings may even force you to put your book off to the side until you can figure out your next step, or get more support, or get more clarity.

After running into so many potential authors who wonder if they can really make it happen—write and publish their dream book—I’ve created The BOOK QUIZ to help you assess exactly where you are in the book writing journey and what you most need to move forward.

Once you take the quiz, I’ll provide personalized feedback that will give you clarity on what to do next based on your unique results.

The quiz applies what I’ve learned from working with thousands of authors over a decade to help you assess where you stand with the three crucial components to getting published—commitment, expertise and your plan.

The goal of The Book Quiz is simple—to give you an outside perspective on where you are in your book writing journey and help you identify what steps to take next to break through those challenges and write the book you’ve always wanted to write.

P.S. If you know anyone else who could benefit from The Book Quiz, please share it with them—I’m hopeful this resource will help thousands of would-be authors take the next step in their journey to publishing their book.

Barbara’s note: This quiz is lots of fun! Try it and let me know your feedback.

Much of the spoken language slides into our writing, but at times the words we say aren’t the exact fit for what we mean. Check your intention every time!

Consider these sentences from a manuscript about education:

How many principals do what they feel will win approval?

The public feels certain people shouldn’t be teaching.

Given the context, is “feel” the correct word to express the author’s meaning? No, because the essence of the intended meaning doesn’t come from an emotional “feeling” source. Rather, it comes from a profound conviction based on experience—a place of belief.

Replace “feeling” with the word “believe,” which involves caring about something. It implies a deeper kind of thinking—a mental activity that doesn’t necessarily have a sense of conviction. Because of this distinction, the better word choices would be:

How many principals do what they believe will win approval?

The public believes certain people shouldn’t be teaching.

Your challenge: Question yourself when you select a commonly spoken word. Does it express the exact meaning based on its context? From now on, designate “feel” a red-flag word. Then replace it with “think” or “believe” or “hope” or another verb and reread your sentence. Is “feel” the most precise word to convey your intended meaning? If not, pause and find exactly the right one.

Unsure which of these verbs—feel, think, believe—to use in your own writing? For feedback on your sentence(s), request it here.